catalog text
PIERRE JULES MÊNE
French, 1810-1879
"Chasse au Renard" (The Fox Hunt)
Patinated bronze | Signed in cast "P.J. MÊNE 1849"
Item # 110CPF21W
The group Chasse au Renard was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1849 (no. 2281) executed just in wax and was the fifth such "Hunt" scene offered by Mêne to date from his first in 1844 and last in 1850. While he never separated the dogs from this model for individual modeling, the fox was initially positioned in a pleasant trot as a stand-alone figure in Renard Guele Ouverte (The Panting Fox) which was released in 1847 prior to the present larger group. The gallery may still own two atelier casts of The Panting Fox, view our current inventory for availability. Mêne exhibited the hunting group at Salon again in 1863, this time executed in bronze as no. 2478 under the title of Hallali du Renard with a silvered patina.
This larger group reveals a ferocious battle with the features of the fox entirely reworked as the hounds have apparently cornered the creature in this sunken hollow, each coming at it from a different angle while the fox is backed against the dead oak tree. True to form, Mêne spared no expense in developing even the smallest details - note the exquisite form of each leaf on the ground with individual veins and texture fully articulated in even these secondary elements. The figures are shown inordinate care and attention with needle-like sharpness of teeth, fine fur development in the paws and ears and the individuality of each dog brought to the forefront in their features. The front edge of the model is signed in a deeply impressed script captured directly from the mold "P.J. MÊNE 1849". The sculpture is finished in a warm brown surface patina with very faint hints of reddish-brown in the undertones; these positively glow from under the wax layer. It is a scarce early model infrequently found on the open market.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Pierre Jules Mêne, Catalogue Raisonné, Poletti & Richarme, 2007, p. 52
- Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, p. 205 (present model pictured and discussed)
- Dictionaire des Sculpteurs de l'École Française, Vol. III, Lami, p. 427-430
Measurements: 10 1/2" H x 19 1/8" W x 10 1/2" D
Condition Report:
Very fine original condition. Minor handling wear to patina, more notable around the perimeter of the base. No noted flaws.